


Getting Lost

by Anmaje



Category: Life of the Party D&D (Web Series)
Genre: It's pretty soft, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Music can be quiet right?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23718025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anmaje/pseuds/Anmaje
Summary: Images of heavy finery, deep manipulating bows and guests with unkind smiles clad in flourishing fabrics passed through his head as he tried to go to sleep: The ball was tomorrow, and Vanden was unsteady.
Relationships: Cassian/Renard (Life of the Party)
Kudos: 26





	Getting Lost

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any grammatical errors, English isn't my first language. :)

Images of heavy finery, deep manipulating bows and guests with unkind smiles clad in flourishing fabrics passed through his head as he tried to go to sleep: The ball was tomorrow, and Vanden was unsteady.He knew everything that it would entail, from announcements and dances, to drama and politics. But he was soon supposed to be dead, and if somebody recognized his name as ‘the missing prince from Mirrortail’ he and his friends would be in trouble. So when he rolled to his other side for what felt like the millionth time, he got up and sneaked past a meditating Sariel out of their shared room.

The summer home of the Zauviir family was impressive. There was beautiful art on every wall and ornate antiques wherever they could be displayed. It was nothing like home, but the youngest prince of Mirrortail hadn’t been in a place like this for several months, and it was quite cathartic to walk through the decorated hallways. He walked as quietly as he could, to not wake the house, wouldn’t want anyone to wake up due to his own sleeping habits, it would be a shame if everyone was tired at the big event. His thoughts raced on in his head, about who to talk to, who to avoid, dance steps and the first ball outfit he had chosen on his own. It seemed as though the lack of these events in the last few months has put him out of practise, with the thousand thoughts in his head all going wrong, but it wouldn’t! How would it go wrong? He had done this so often, he knew the deal, but he wasn’t comfortable at all. Vanden came to a set of large double doors, they were heavy, but he got through. On the other side was a large circular room, it looked to be in the middle of the house and it was adorned with riches. It was truly a beautiful room meant for socialising and impressing esteemed guests, with velvet couches by a large marble fireplace still smouldering providing dim light, an open globe bar and a round dinner table having small intricate carvings all over, with chairs to match the soft couches. But the thing that really caught Vandens eye was the grand piano. It was a deep black, gold embedded, grand piano that stood across the room, it was open as if on display, but dusted and clean.

Vanden had played piano since he was little, and he was incredibly glad that he was forced to learn it. He had always enjoyed music and when he was feeling down or things didn’t make sense to him, he could spend hours and hours losing himself to the music until his head was empty, and he could breathe again. He hadn’t played in months, and when he closed the doors he quickly crossed the floor to get a closer look. It was really stunning, not like his own at the palace, it looked more modern and simple, but still beautiful, the gold snaking its way across every edge of it. The tangents weren’t worn and there was no sheet music in sight, but as he pressed down a tangent, the note A rung tuned through the room. He knew he shouldn’t play, he’d wake the whole house… but he was far from both the bedrooms and the staff quarters... but he shouldn’t! It wasn’t even his piano. Yet Vanden closed the black piano to dim the noise, and as he sat down familiar tunes rushed from his fingers and into the air around him. Old melodies of warriors and heroes, operas with grand pieces about love and loss, and whatever came to him in the moment filled the room.

Vanden was so lost that he didn’t hear the heavy doors open as a decorated elf slipped through to look at the prince playing familiar and unfamiliar melodys in his pajamas. When he walked over the floor towards him, Vanden finally noticed and stopped immediately, looking at a very much shirtless Cassian, who also hadn’t cared to change from his pajamas “I’m sorry if I woke you,” he said in shock at how he hadn’t noticed Cassian’s presence. “Oh you didn’t, I was up. Heard someone leave, just wanted to check if you were... alright?” Cassian asked. Vanden straightened his back. “Yes. Well why are you up so late then?” ”Not up late. I woke up an hour ago to fix up my outfit, only need about four hours of sleep remember?” Cassian said rhetorically, Vanden did remember, but didn’t say anything. “Don’t stop playing for my sake, it’s a lot nicer than Astras tossing and turning,” the elf said not quite hiding the hopefulness in his voice. “Astra usually lies pretty still.” Vanden looked quizzically at Cassian. “I suppose he’s nervous” though his roommate for the night had not been the most pleasant to work by, it was completely fair. “Well that makes two of us,” Vanden muttered. That was news to Cassian. “I thought you were used to these sorts of events?” “I am,” he answered. “It’s just…” Vanden didn’t know why he had started saying these things to Cassian of all people, they got along the least. Yet Cassian would always listen, distract or say the right thing. So he continued. “I’m supposed to be missing, soon dead, and I’m scared.” The prince thought it over for a second, as Cassian stood patiently. “I’m worried sick that I’ll bring you and the others in danger.” Cassian watched Vanden look at his hands in his lap, his heart growing heavy. That was something he had noticed about himself: when Vanden was unhappy, he’d get sad too. It wasn’t something he was used to, caring so much. “Come now Vanden. We’d get ourselves into trouble anyways.” He smirked teasingly at him. Vanden looked up, comforted. “Yeah, you would.” That was entirely true. “Why don’t you sit down for a bit?” He had a small smile on his face and scooted over on the piano stool to make room. Cassian was a little taken aback at that, but sat down, having to sit with his back to Vandens shoulder to not touch him. He looked over at Vanden setting his hands in position.

As Vanden started playing Cassian's heart lifted again. It was one of the songs he had taught Astra, one of his very favourites. It was from an opera he was supposed to see once, sung by no other than Madame Nostrada, but unfortunately never got to. He couldn’t help himself but to hum along to Vandens playing. As he did Vanden let the dynamic fall. “Sing if you want to. I liked it when you sang with Astra.” Vanden smiled ever so slightly more at Cassian, so he started singing in Ospeian. Neither piano nor singing was perfect, Vanden would admit that it had been a while since he heard the piece last, and Cassian would never claim to have Madame Nostradas vocal chords. But they were insync. And to the two of them, the other was quite a bit more than perfect, there was nowhere they’d rather be in this moment. So they got lost in the sound together, as quiet music filled the air around them.

After Vanden had opened the grand piano again, they walked side by side quietly back to the guest rooms. Cassian wanted to chat to Vanden, say anything to him really, tease him or maybe ask him for a dance at the ball? “Cassian can I ask you something?” Vanden said out of nowhere. “Yes?” “I…” Cassian was maybe hoping that they were thinking the same thing a bit. It had been very nice teaching the others to dance, and maybe Vanden and he had gotten a bit lost in that too. Vanden continued. “I’m wearing a doublet tomorrow, and as you are a tailor, could you maybe help me with that?” he asked, looking anywhere but at Cassian. “Of course,” he replied, not acknowledging the disappointment in his stomach. He too looked anywhere but the man he was talking to. “And I assume this is not the favour I owe you?” Cassian changed the subject “No. I wouldn’t have asked if i could ask you something for that.” Vanden snickered and stopped walking. “This is your room, right? Goodnight... or good working? Thank you for checking on me… it was nice.” Cassian hadn’t realised they’d already walked all the way back. “Ah, thank you. I suppose it was rather nice. Try to get some sleep Vanden?” He asked, trying to keep his worry from showing too much. “I will.” Vanden promised.

Cassian sat down at the desk, mentally cursing at himself for not speaking first, and processing their second moment of getting lost with each other. And in the next room down the hallway Vanden actually fell asleep. Only this time he was thinking of calm waves, golden eyes and a soft voice in his ear, singing him to steady sleep.


End file.
